I got my Betta today and I noticed that he has something by his gills or around that area (or at least it looks like he does) , and also, is his tail damaged?? If something is wrong could you please tell me how to help him. Here is a picture:

We will need your water parameters, tank size, age of the tank, filtration, temp, etc to help you out.

okay :) My tank is 21liters or 5.5 gallons, The tanks is new, so about 3 weeks, I use a marina filter which could be used on up to 30 liter tanks. It is 22 celcius (i have a heater). I have fed him some bloodworms and betta pellets which he ate a bit of (not very much) but he did just arrive so I think he was a bit stressed from the trip here. He was the only male in a tank with many (about 15) female bettas in the petshop so that might explain why his tail is a bit damaged from them nipping it.

How is his behavior? Does he spend a lot of time in one place with his fins bunched up?

Your temprature is low, bettas are tropical fish and require temps between 76-80. 71f or 22c is too low for them.

Test strips are known to be inaccurate, so their results should not be fully trusted.

You said his diet was bloodworms and pellets, how often do you feed the bloodworms? Bloodworms are very rich foods, feeding it too often can cause constipation in bettas.

Yeah, I got him 2 days ago, and yeah his fin was like that when he arrived!! :(

He is behaving like normal I think, I havent owned a betta before so I dont really know what is "normal". He is swimming around a lot, so he isnt still, and he has gone up for air a few times.. He ate the bloodworms a bit, but he spat out most of the pellets!! I have only fed him bloodworms once, and only planning to give them to him like once a week or something He is almost never still, well, he might be at night but not in the day.. He is curious when i put food in, and when i put the cucumber in for my otto he was curious, which is good:)?

Yeah I know its too low, thats why I have bought a heater which hopefully will arive tomorrow.. (the one i was going to use had been in the loft for a while so didnt work).. So yeah, I will set that one to like, 78 F :)

I dont think he has gill rot or a damaged fin/fin rot because of me, cause he looked like that when i got him.. :( I have bought Melafix online from UK (I live in Norway) now, so hope that will help him (maybe not the gills, but his fin)?

Yeah, I got him 2 days ago, and yeah his fin was like that when he arrived!! :(

He is behaving like normal I think, I havent owned a betta before so I dont really know what is "normal". He is swimming around a lot, so he isnt still, and he has gone up for air a few times.. He ate the bloodworms a bit, but he spat out most of the pellets!! I have only fed him bloodworms once, and only planning to give them to him like once a week or something He is almost never still, well, he might be at night but not in the day.. He is curious when i put food in, and when i put the cucumber in for my otto he was curious, which is good:)?

Yeah I know its too low, thats why I have bought a heater which hopefully will arive tomorrow.. (the one i was going to use had been in the loft for a while so didnt work).. So yeah, I will set that one to like, 78 F :)

I dont think he has gill rot or a damaged fin/fin rot because of me, cause he looked like that when i got him.. :( I have bought Melafix online from UK (I live in Norway) now, so hope that will help him (maybe not the gills, but his fin)?

Thanks for the help guys!

Dont use melafix. If you just want to promote fin growth, stress coat is enough. Melafix has tea tree extract which can stress them if they arent sick. It also yellows your water and makes it smell.

If he is active, he should be fine, try getting a mirror and get him to flare against himself a couple of times, this usually gives them some energy, otherwise i think your betta should be ok.

I tend to agree with SinCrisis. I've had several bettas over the years and as long as a betta is interested in what is going on - they are nosy and sociable (with people) little guys - he is ok. His fin should repair itself. When he is warmer, he will be happier too.